Carbo loading versus No carbs?

Hey guys - question I've just recently wondered about. I remember back in the day when I was in crew, the rowers would pack on the pasta the night before a race. Now I hear don't touch carbs in the evening with respect to avoiding gaining weight. I guess my question is, is this not the case providing you're doing something physically demanding the next day? Or, put another way, how long before those carbs turn into loads of fat?

I don't think the "carb to fat" pumpkin arrives at midnight, if that's what you mean.

But then I also don't get the frequent maligning of pasta. I'd personally prefer sawdust over brown rice.

I didn't actually row, but I lived with the crew team. If you consider the sheer number of calories you'd burn in a race, it makes sense to load up the night before, otherwise you'd lose significant weight, and probably wouldn't have the best endurance.

Ultimately, it's all about total calories. If you take in more calories than you burn, you will gain fat. It's that simple.

According to recent research carbo loading schemes are little better than having a regular diet that is composed of 60 - 65% carbs (healthy carbs from whole food sources).

Also, WHEN you eat the carbs IS important. Glygcogen levels are best restored if one eats a high carb meal within 30 minutes of the workout. And, it has been shown that if a little protein is taken in with those carbs that the restoration of glycogen stores is even more efficient.

I have only been doing this for 8-9 weeks but see a significant decrease in my recovery time and increase in my energy levels during workout.

Just so you know, I'm not rowing, but I do swim hard for 45-60 minutes a few times a week.

There are a number of answers. It depends where your glycogen stores are at the time of load.

If you're depleted (say a competitive bodybuilder who has been eating 100g of carbs a day for several weeks), you can load whenever, or, if you're highly trained, e.g. the rower, you can do a load about any time, if you're depleted. However, if you're looking for high glucose levels for your event you need to load carbs just before, and DURING, your event. Just common sense 101.

1) breakfast is hugely important - you are depleted of almost everything -- if any were to be a slight bit bigger than the others, it might be this one --

2) you have a limited capacity to utilize nutrients - a "big" meal compared to the others suggests that you might be overeating at that one, and undereating at the others --

3) generally speaking, you need a continuous flow of nutrients at 2-4 hour intervals throughout the day & night -- since most of us would not care to wake up in the middle of the night to eat, we have to make do by spreading our caloric needs into 5 or 6 meals during our waking 16 or so hours --

chucky...giga is rower(aerobic) not a body builder(anaerobic). know that's common sense 101. ;-)

eating a ratio of 70% CHO, 20% PRO, 10% FAT, at your own caloric RMR and activity level, you should never be glycogen depleted, for any endurance/cardio athlete.

PS is correct on frequency of meals. Unless you know the next morning your going to be riding your bike/exercising for 5+ hours. Have a few extra calories at dinner. "Eat today for tomorrow"is a very good motto for endurance athlete's, during big training volume.

Thanks for the info USathlete, I knew the subjects of the study, but did assume, and have found that even though I am not training at that intensity I still feel the benefit of eating as the study and you suggest.